Update.

Hola de Peru!

Just wanted to give you all a quick update of what things are like here, what's been happening, what I've heard and seen, etc...

1) I took over the English classes. The other American left, so the education of 60 children is in my hands. English is Tuesdays and Thursdays. We took the children to beach on Wednesday (none of them had never been before). So, on Tuesday we learned vocabulary for the beach (umbrella, sharks, sand, etc.) and on Thursday we worked on sentences from the beach ("I liked the beach a lot" or "My favorite part of the beach was the crabs"). They have had a blast this week!

2) I have a Peruvian friend who's pretty down on Peru. He says here, for many Peruvians, it's all about the money. He says when a lot of Peruvians walk by a child sleeping in the street they don't think twice. He also says that there is a significant amount of racism in this country (he says more than what he's heard of in the United States - I disagree). The racism is between the indigenous cultures in the mountains and the more urban culture. The indians are left behind in every aspect of society and their cultures are dying - including the beautiful language of Quechua. He says that's why it is so important to work with these kids in San Isidro and - starting March - in the mountainous regions. To him, the children have not been corrupted by Peruvian society. He believes that the work of Intiwawa is helping the children to recognize their rights and to be proud of their heritage and culture.

3) A little anecdote: The biggest of the three volcanoes that surround Arequipa - named the Misti - is just now accumulating snow for the first time in one month (it's raining a lot here). The people here say that it is the first time since they can ever remember that the Misti has not been covered in snow. They call it "el cambio de la clima" - climate change.